Monday

Rolled oats – which look like big squashed flakes – will keep you going longer than porridge oats. However, both are rich in fibre, complex carbohydrates and protein.

Top Tips
• If you’re making just one portion of this, it’s easy – 1 cup water to half a cup oats.
• Get your Five A Day! Add any fruit to this recipe – defrosted frozen berries, fresh or dried
fruit. Mix in when porridge is ready to serve.
• For more sweetness try a couple of teaspoons of date, maple or agave (type of cactus) syrup
– date syrup is half the price of maple. You’ll find them in supermarkets or health stores.

1. Soak oats and water overnight in a bowl if possible.
2. Cover and leave in fridge.
3. In the morning, place all ingredients (except milk and syrup) in a saucepan.
4. Bring to the boil, lower heat and cook for 10 minutes or longer, depending on
how you like it.
5. Stir occasionally.
6. Serve plain or with soya/rice milk and syrup, if desired.

Keeps 2-3 days in a sealed container in the fridge. You can buy hummus in supermarkets but it is easy and cheap to make your own – and it won’t be so high in salt! Alfalfa sprouts are tiny green shoots full of vibrant vitamins and minerals. They are found in plastic bags in the chill section of health stores or delis.

1. Lightly toast pitta bread.
2. When warm, slice a little bit from the top if it’s a pocket or slice in half if it’s a large one.
3. Open pitta carefully.
4. Spread inside of pitta with hummus.
5. Add alfalfa sprouts and tomato.
6. Serve.

HummusServes 4. 5 minutes
If you have leftover chickpeas, use them in a salad, soup or stew. They also freeze well.

1. Put rice on to cook with water.
2. Bring to boil and simmer for 25-35 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, chop vegetables for stir-fry and put aside.
4. Fry 2 tofu ‘steaks’ in a little oil in a nonstick pan until golden brown on each side.
5. Add a little shoyu (soy sauce) until the tofu is coated. Drain on kitchen paper and put aside.
6. Make bean salad – place all solid ingredients in a bowl and mix.
7. Add vinaigrette and toss everything so it’s well coated.
8. Make sauce by blending all ingredients together – then warm through gently.
9. Stir-fry the vegetables in the oil.
10. Chop cooled tofu into bite-sized pieces and heat through with vegetables.
11. Place cooked, drained rice on plates, top with the vegetable-tofu mix, then the sauce.
12. Serve bean salad in separate bowls on the side.

1. Place everything in blender or food processor.
2. Process for several minutes until the tofu has lost its grainy texture and the whole thing is very creamy.
3. Serve at once or transfer to a covered container and chill.

This is a creative and lovely way to use up cooked wholegrains – brown rice, quinoa (pronounced ‘keen-wah’) or millet are particularly good. Before cooking quinoa, rinse thoroughly in cold water in a large sieve
– this gets rid of the naturally bitter coating. Cook these grains in one of two ways:

1. Fry a little onion, garlic, herbs/spices in a teaspoon of oil first – you can also add diced red pepper, celery or other veggies of your choice. Fry until onions are soft, then add the grains and ‘fry’ for a few minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Then add water or stock and cook according to packet instructions.
2. Just add water/stock and a few herbs/spices of your choice and simmer until cooked, according to
packet instructions.

Either of these gorgeous dressings will top up your omega-3 levels a treat! This dish is chock full of fibre, vitamins, protein, minerals… This is a recipe to start you off – next time, let your imagination flow and try
different combinations of nuts, seeds, salad vegetables – more possibilities below.

1. Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
2. Combine oats, flour, walnuts, sunflower seeds and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together juice, syrup, oil, water and vanilla.
4. Pour over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until evenly moistened.
5. Divide mixture between two large oven trays, spreading out into a 2cm/1 inch thick layer.
6. Bake until golden brown, stirring well every 15 minutes – use a timer.
7. Cooking time total 50-60 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and stir in raisins while mixture is still hot, to plump up the raisins.
9. Let cool completely and then store in airtight containers in fridge or a cool cupboard.

1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients.
2. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender, but not soft.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to cool a little. Cover and chill in fridge.

Don’t let the words ‘healthier’ or ‘reduced fat’ put you off. Less rich than Sunday’s mousse but still utterly gorgeous – and quick. Our sceptical friends tried it and fought over who got to lick the bowl!

Blueberries or raspberries make a good addition and look beautiful scattered on top.

1. Grill sausages according to instructions.
2. Spread mayo on each side of bread, cover with lettuce and tomato.
3. When sausages are cooked, slice each one in half and lay in sandwich.
4. Slice sandwich in half.
5. Eat while warm if possible.

1. Heat oil in large, heavy based pan and cook onion and red pepper for 5 minutes over moderate heat.
2. Add spices and fry for 1 minute, stirring continually.
3. Add millet and vegetable stock.
4. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, place nuts in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and toast till golden brown for 2 minutes or so – keep turning gently with a wooden spatula so they don’t stick or burn.
6. Add peas during last 5 minutes of cooking time.
7. When all liquid has been absorbed and millet is light and fluffy, it’s cooked!
8. Stir in nuts, lemon juice and mint.
9. Serve on warm plates – place dollop of yoghurt on top if using.

1. Heat oil in heavy saucepan.
2. When hot, add carrot and onion and sauté until soft.
3. Add lentils and water.
4. Bring to boil then simmer, stirring until lentils are cooked and soft – 15-20 minutes.
5. Add water if too thick or the mixture is sticking.
6. Add 2 tsp bouillon powder, whisking in well so there are no lumps.
7. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, put on greens to steam.
9. Add lemon juice and chopped frankfurters to stew.
10. Season as necessary (if you use low-salt bouillon you’ll need a little more salt and vice versa).
11. Thin with extra hot stock if you want it as a soup.
12. Stir, then place cooked greens at bottom and spoon soup/stew on top, reserving a few green strands for garnish.

1. Slice rhubarb into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces and stew in a pan of boiling water for 1 minute, then strain.
2. Finely chop the dates and place in a saucepan with rhubarb, grated ginger and water.
3. Bring to boil and simmer until rhubarb and dates are soft.
4. Allow mixture to cool.
5. Blend or food process the rhubarb mixture with silken tofu until smooth.
6. Divide the fool between 4 individual dishes and decorate with toasted almonds and mint leaves.
7. Chill before serving.

Top Tip
You can use up any leftover silken tofu in a breakfast smoothie – just add fruit, soya milk and blend until smooth.

1. Remove the tofu from its wrapper and drain all the water out.
2. Pat dry using a clean tea towel and then squash it between two plates so that the excess water drains out.
3. Add oil to a frying pan and heat gently.
4. Add chopped onion.
5. Meanwhile, heat up the baked beans gently.
6. When the onion is beginning to soften and brown (after about five minutes) crumble in the tofu – it should be in small pieces about the size of peas.
7. Gently fry for a couple more minutes and add some turmeric, chilli and spring onion if you want them and a little bit of salt & pepper.
8. Serve with toast and any other breakfast things you fancy!

Watercress and potato soup is one of those elegant classics that is surprisingly simple to prepare. And given that it contains nutritional goodies such as potatoes (vitamin C) and watercress (rich in minerals including calcium and iron) you can’t go wrong! Use your own vegetable stock if you have any left over, otherwise
use vegan bouillon or stock cube. Marigold and Kallo are two good makes, or use Oxo vegetable.

1. Sauté the onion in margarine in a large saucepan for 5 minutes until onions are translucent, but not browned.
2. Add potatoes, cover and cook gently for 5-10 minutes.
3. Stir from time to time and ensure that the vegetables do not brown.
4. Add stock, bring to boil then cover.
5. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
6. Liquidize the soup with the watercress.
7. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
8. Reheat without boiling.
9. Serve with a swirl of soya cream.

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. In a medium sized heavy saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in oil over a medium heat until just softened.
3. Add the cumin, fennel seed, pepper and salt.
4. Sauté for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice and stir constantly for about 2 minutes or until the rice smells fragrant.
6. Add the saffron and stock, bring rice to the boil and cover.
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.
8. Lightly steam squash until just cooked – 5-10 minutes. Test with thin skewer.
9. Place squash on a heatproof dish and bake in oven.
10. Check rice and add a little more liquid if beginning to stick.
11. Remove rice from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
12. Make sauce and gently warm through.
13. Serve pilaf with squash and sauce.

The Big Mama of all mousses! Try this on any of your friends who believe that being vegan
is about ‘giving up’ and being a martyr… and watch the smiles of pleasure on their chocolate-smeared chops! This recipe halved will give 4 small but very rich portions.

1. Blend tofu in a food processor or blender until just smooth.
2. Soften chocolate with syrup in a double boiler (or bowl over pan of hot water), set over a low heat.
3. Stir gently with a rubber or plastic spatula until the mix has melted and combined.
4. Pour chocolate mixture with vanilla extract and salt into processor with the tofu.
5. Mix until creamy, scraping down sides once or twice to ensure everything well mixed in.
6. Refrigerate in individual serving dishes of your choice for an hour or so.